Save it for another day
by Hellen says what's up
Summary: Eponine wants to save her siblings from her parents. Enjolras, her judge, says she will only be able to take custody if she proves to him and the court that she is capable of caring for the children and herself. She's given a month to improve her living standards. When she thinks she's lost all hope she meets Combeferre. Meanwhile Enjolras has his own family to sort out. Ep/Ferre
1. And the one month deadline

Save it for another day

**I'm not sure how many chapters this is going to be. We'll see. Not all the characters are in this chapter, but they will be in the following ones.**

**Age and occupation for this fic: **

**(Waitress and other things) Eponine is 23**

**(Fashion designer) Azelma is 17**

**(None) Gavroche is 11**

**(None) Peter Thenardier (Eponine and Gavroche's younger brother) is 9**

**(None) Ash Thenardier (Eponine and Gavroche's other younger brother) is 4**

**(Judge/Lawyer) Enjolras is 24**

**(Student) Combeferre is 23**

**(Mailman) Courfeyrac is 24**

**(Lawyer) Grantaire is 24**

**(Law student) Jehan is 21**

**(Teacher) Cosette is 23**

**(Waiter) Marius is 24**

Eponine sat outside the taunting office. She glanced at her watch again and tapped the bloody thing with her index finger. It was practically the longest twenty minutes of her life. Eponine started tapping her foot nervously. Her taps echoed through the marble hall. The only other person in the room was the elderly man who was mopping the spotless floor, the bodyguard who was so still he could have been a mannequin and the receptionist who sat quietly at her large desk in the front of the hall. The place was lined with a row of green chairs on one side and a row of brown doors on the other. She looked up at the door in front of her which read, _Sir/Judge J. Enjolras. _The name was written in gold above the door. That was the man she was going to be seeing today. In fact, that very man could actually change her life, forever. It wasn't really helping with her nerves to be honest.

Eponine stopped tapping her foot when she heard the entrance door swung open. A familiar young man with caramel colour hair and a pass around his neck that read, _J. Prouvaire, law student. _He showed the guard his pass and quickly speed-walked over to the distressed Eponine who sat in the chair with wet hair and creased clothes. "I got your text. What's the matter?" He asked her impatiently. "And what's up with your hair?"

Eponine shot up to her feet, "Where the fuck is Grantaire!" she whisper-yelled. "The judge expects to meet me with my lawyer! I can't do this without a lawyer!" She spoke so fast that Jean almost missed what she said.

Jehan spoke slowly, trying to sooth her, "Ok, just calm down, you can do this-"

"Calm down? How-the-fuck-am-I-supposed-to-calm-down?! My hair's wet from my shower, I look like a slob, I'm late for work and my lawyer's missing!" Eponine pulled at her soaked hair and started hyperventilating.

Jehan and Eponine had been friends for a long time. Even though Prouvaire was younger than she was, he'd helped her out of many sticky situations like that one time she got called into the police station (but in her defence, that was the year she was so low on cash, she was picking coins off of the sidewalk.) "Ok, relax 'Ponine. Take deep breaths. I'll give R a call once you go into your meeting. All you need to be worrying about is your judge." Jehan comforted, holding Eponine's hand. "Now, Enjolras may seem kind of evil, but he's actually a real nice guy. We went to the same law school. He graduated early at age seventeen and was knighted by the queen for his contribution to society…so, like I said, first impressions are important."

Eponine grabbed the slightly soggy coffee cup that Jehan held in his left hand and gulped the liquid down in one go. Jehan's eyes widened, slightly impressed. Suddenly, the receptionist picked up the wired telephone that sat by her desk. Her voice echoed through the large and almost-empty hall. "Sir…alright…I'll tell her." She placed the phone down and turned to the two at the back of the hall. "Mr Enjolras will see you now." She said plainly.

Eponine turned to Jehan. "It'll be fine. Stop stressing." Jehan said, giving her a light pat on the back. Eponine nodded and cleared her mind. She walked over to the door which seemed much more intimidating than it did five minutes ago. She slowly moved her hand towards the handle and pushed it down. The door clicked open and Eponine stepped inside.

A young man, who only looked a year or two older than Eponine, sat at a large desk at the end of the office. On the left side of the desk was a brown cabinet and on the right was a table with a picture of a baby, a toddler and a young woman who, Eponine was guessing, was the mother. Hanging on the doorknob of the cabinet was a gold and red jacket on a silver hanger. Eponine then turned her attention back to the man, who still hadn't looked at her once. The man wore a crisp navy-blue suit and matching tie around his thin neck. His curly hair was cut short to a neat length and his sharp sea blue eyes were down on his work. Eponine watched as the man jotted notes onto a bright yellow piece of paper, his hand moving so fast and restlessly that you'd guess he was a robot (and the unblinking eyes also contributed to that theory.)

When the man finally did look up at Eponine, he let out a sigh and sat back a little more in his black desk chair. He gave a half-smile to Eponine, which was probably fake. It wasn't genuine enough to be real. "Miss Thenardier if I'm not mistaken? Please, take a seat." He said. Eponine nodded, timidly and walked over to the other side of the desk. She sat opposite him in the wooden chair on the other side of the desk and sighed. Enjolras looked down at the form Eponine had sent in earlier that week. "Sorry about the long wait. I don't usually have appointments on Sundays." Enjolras' voice was calm and official. He acted older than he was. "I understand that you wish to claim custody over your three siblings, Ash, Peter and Gavroche." Enjolras tapped his finger on the edge of his desk and hummed to himself. "And, why do you wish to do so, might I ask?"

Eponine cleared her throat, realising that it had gone rather dry. "Well, my mother and father are filing a divorce. I personally believe that the children would be safer with me. You see, my mother and father are con-men. I don't want my siblings going down the same road as them."

Enjolras furrowed his brow. "Well, actually, Miss Thenardier-"

"Eponine…" she interrupted. Enjolras looked at her, slightly baffled. "Could you just call me Eponine? I hate my last name…"

Enjolras remained motionless for a moment. He then gave a light chuckle and nodded slightly. "Alright then, Eponine, as I was saying…I did a little background-check on your parents, and, well, there's no actual evidence that they're con-men. According to the computers, your mother works in a café and your father is a salesman."

Eponine's eyes widened in shock. "What? No, there must be some mistake. My parents have been con-men for most of their lives! They tried to get me to become one as well."

"Sorry Miss- I mean, Eponine…your parents have no record of ever disobeying the law. Unless your parents are such good con-men that they've never been caught out, which I highly doubt, they are innocent people, and you wouldn't be able to take the children away." Enjolras said, flipping through the papers on his desk. Eponine felt like she was going to be sick. She felt like she was falling off a skyscraper, and had no idea when she'd hit the ground. "But…I guess there is one way you'd be able to gain custody over the children." Suddenly, she stopped falling. She stopped breathing. She looked at Enjolras, forgetting her own self-awareness. "I guess if you could prove that you are in fact a better guardian for the children…you could have custody. Although…"

"What?"

Enjolras bit his lip. "Eponine, you're a waitress at a rundown sandwich shop on Finchley Road. You're late on your rent. You dropped out of school…no offence, but it barely looks like you could hold yourself up…let alone three children." Eponine looked down at her feet. "Now, you don't have to go through with this court order…I can cancel it if you wish…personally, I think it's for the best. Don't want to waste anyone's time…"

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Enjolras eyebrow twitched. Without much other warning, a man in black trousers and a green waistcoat walked into the large office. He also wore a pass around his neck that read _N. Grantaire, environmental/business/finance/personal lawyer_. Eponine stood from her seat and turned around to see her lawyer, Grantaire. "Hey, sorry I'm a little late."

Eponine sighed, "Um, this is my-"

"I know who he is." Enjolras said, rolling his eyes, hatefully.

Grantaire sniggered, "Enjolras! Hey, haven't seen you since law school. Enjoying your highlife? Enjoy it while it lasts buddy."

"You guys went to the same law school? Perfect." Eponine said, punching her left palm with her right fist.

Enjolras huffed. "How's being a lawyer working out for you? Too bad you're not a big enough shot to become a judge. When did you graduate? Like yesterday?" he said bitterly.

"When I was nineteen actually." Grantaire said smugly.

"Well…seventeen, I win." Enjolras coughed and sat back in his chair.

"At least I got my status because of my brains and not because everyone wants to sleep with me…" Grantaire said with a shrug.

"For your information, I was knighted because of my contribution to the United Kingdom."

Grantaire shook his head. "Yeah, no. You were knighted because of your pretty little ass."

Eponine then realised her lawyer and her judge just got into a full-on cat fight. "Um…guys…back to the matter at hand now…please."

Enjolras rolled his eyes. "Sorry, where was I? About the court order, are you sure you want to go through with it?"

Eponine started biting her nails as it all came back to her. "Well… I want to go through with it…but there's no point if there's no chance I'm going to win custody."

Grantaire raised his eyebrows. "Why won't she win custody?"

"She's underqualified. She has a low paid job, works late hours, can't afford it, struggling with rent and she lives on her own, which I personally think is too much pressure on a young woman such as herself." Enjolras said with a frown.

"Well, what if you gave her time to prove that she was capable of looking after the kids?" Grantaire asked. "I say, give her a few months, she might be able to fix her life up."

Enjolras chewed on his bottom lip. "I'm a busy man. I can't push this case too far back. I've got other things to do you know. More important cases."

"Well, how far are you willing to push this case back?" Grantaire asked.

Enjolras thought for a moment. He then leant against the table on his elbow. "One month tops."

Eponine's eyes widened and her jaw hung open. "One month? One fucking month!?"

Enjolras looked down. "Please don't use such language in my office."

Eponine couldn't believe what she was hearing. "How the hell do you expect me to prove myself in one month?"

"Hey, if you truly love your siblings, you'd do it for them." Enjolras shrugged.

Ooo

Eponine sat on the bench outside the empty park. One month. In exactly one month, it would all be taken to court…how was she supposed to get a good job, find a new apartment and prove that she was responsible…in a month? It'd started raining. Not that Eponine cared. Her hair was already wet before…she'd lost all hope now…Eponine wasn't sure how she was going to do it…but she had to save her siblings from her parents…she didn't want them ending up like _them. _Eponine felt like crying. Actually, she felt more like screaming. What was worse was that her lawyer and the judge seemed to hate each other, which meant there was no way Grantaire was going to be able to convince Enjolras to push the date back…

Eponine felt lost…alone…she didn't want to lose her brothers forever. She started crying. She didn't care what other people thought of her anymore…she wiped at her eyes with the back of her drenched-in-rain sleeve. Suddenly, the rain stopped. Well, it didn't stop falling, but it stopped falling on HER. Eponine looked up and saw a tall young man with silver glasses, holding a blue umbrella over her head. "Are you alright Miss?" he asked kindly.


	2. And the law student

**I forgot to include the OC's in this fic.**

**OC's ages and occupation:**

**(Accountant) Enjolras' ex-wife- Chloe is 24**

**(Male model) Azelma's boyfriend- Marcus is 17**

**(None) Enjolras' son-Acel is 10**

**(None) Enjolras' son-Denis is 4**

**Just saying: I don't know much about law. My cousin's a law student which is the only resource to information I have (and I'm too lazy to use the internet to find out more 'stuff')**

"So, I won't be able to get my brothers away from my parents unless I prove that I'm 'responsible' I guess…" Eponine and the young law student sat in the tiny coffee shop at the table by the broken window. The chairs and tables were wobbly and the paint on the wall was damp and peeling. There was a musky smell of cigarettes and coffee beans which reminded Eponine of that one time she fell into a trash can. The shop itself wasn't busy at all, (since not many people liked drinking coffee in a dreary old hut these days). The law student had bought Eponine a cup of coffee to calm her down. The coffee tasted like fresh dirt, but it was the best coffee Eponine had had in her entire life.

Eponine looked up at the law student. He smelt like caramel and cinnamon. Normally that kind of smell would clash against itself…but he made it work. He also had a rather formal appearance. He wore a clean white shirt, a blue blazer and a neat pair of grey trousers. The only odd thing was that the man was wearing mud-stained converse, which, to be honest, looked rather strange compared to the rest of his attire. "…I'm sorry. That must be pretty hard for you…" he said after Eponine had told him the whole story.

"I just…I don't want my siblings ending up like I did…a messed up penny-less bag of shit." Eponine took a small sip of her coffee.

"Don't put yourself down like that." The man comforted. "Why don't you ask for a new date for your court order?" He asked.

"I can't." Eponine said with a frown. "My judge won't let me. Said he's got more important cases whatever the fuck that means…"she spat the words out like venom.

The man cocked his head to the side, just thinking. Eponine wondered if he was aware of how cute he looked like that. "Surely your lawyer or representative could arrange something for you?"

Eponine choked as the boiling coffee went down. She swallowed and shivered as the liquid burnt her throat. "Not a chance." She coughed as she recovered from the burning. "My lawyer and my judge hate each other."

"Who's your judge?" he asked, stroking his chin with his index finger.

Eponine shrugged, lazily, "You might know him. He's a sir. Sir Julien Nile Enjolras."

The man's face went straight as though he thought Eponine was joking. He then grinned like a little kid and Eponine melted inside. "Enjolras got knighted?"

Eponine's eyes widened. "You know Enjolras?" _well of course, EVERYONE knows Enjolras. _She thought to herself.

The man shot Eponine a look that was kind of cocky but cute at the same time. "He went to my law school. We were best mates."

Eponine rolled her eyes. "So, does literally everyone in London go to the same law school?"

The man shrugged. "No, but there's only one in London worth going to. NL Law School. Best school out there." The man stirred his coffee and Eponine found herself smiling. "I'm Henry Combeferre by the way." He said. Eponine then noticed his pass that hung around his neck, though it was tucked neatly into his shirt, carefully hidden away from her view.

"I'm Eponine Thenardier…"

"Eponine." Combeferre tested out the name. He made it sound much posher than it really was. Eponine started tapping her fingers on the table top. She wanted to ask a favour of the man…but she didn't want to sound rude or too forward. She only met this guy about two hours ago. But, Eponine needed all the help she could get if she wanted to win the court case…Combeferre might be of good use to her. After all, he was a law student who was active in all seventeen departments of one of the most successful law schools in the world.

But before Eponine could drop down on her knees and beg for his help, he spoke again, "Eponine…I've been thinking, and well, I've really started to like you. I like the fact that you're so determined to fight for what you want. It shows how much you truly love your brothers. It's rather inspiring. Very few people have the guts to actually raise a court case over their own family, and I respect you for what you're doing…I want to help you. I think there's a way I could perhaps convince Enjolras to push the date of your case back…maybe by a few months. And even if I can't, I still want to help you with your case."

Eponine blinked her eyes a couple of times, slightly dazed. No one had ever actually offered her their aid before…it felt good. She felt a smile spread across her face. She knew she must have looked like a grinning idiot, but she didn't really care. "…You want to help…me?" Combeferre gave the slightest nod of the head. "Well…thank you. You're really sweet."

Combeferre hummed and scratched the back of his neck, "Well, I do try." Eponine laughed at that and took another sip of coffee. He then placed his cup down and pulled out a black pen. "Can I have your number?" Eponine smirked. Combeferre blushed a little, "I mean, unless you don't want to. I don't want to be awkward or anything and I guess saying it's awkward kind of makes it even more awkward and I'm just making myself sound like a complete weirdo and I'm going to shut up now."

Eponine giggled and grabbed a pen from her stuffy pocket. "Give me your arm." Eponine squiggled her number down on Combeferre's hand. He smiled and gave a sigh. "So, Monday ok with you?"

* * *

Jehan burst into Enjolras' office, his face was red and his breathing was heavy. Enjolras stood by his window, looking out at the busy street that sat outside his office. He was in the middle of a phone conversation. He seemed stressed out. As the conversation went on, he started pacing behind his desk, still looking out his window. "No, Chloe, Acel and Denis are staying with me for the weekend. I don't give a shit about your time off. I hardly ever get to see them these days. Are we really having this conversation now? Huh."

"Enjolras…" Prouvaire said after recovering from his run. Enjolras stopped pacing and turned to Jehan; only just realising he was there. He rolled his eyes and hung up. He threw his phone onto his desk carelessly and ran his slim fingers through his gold hair. "You had a fight with Chloe?"

"Doesn't matter." He said, shaking his head. "What do you want?"

Jehan pulled his phone out of his jean pocket. "Um…listen, I just got a call from Eponine. You said she can't get custody?"

Enjolras blinked his eyes. "I said it was rather unlikely…however, she does seem rather…confident. There is a chance she might be able to pull this off." Enjolras chuckled slightly. Jehan frowned at him. Why was he laughing at her? Surely he out of all people should know what Eponine was going through. Enjolras lost custody over his own kids a couple years back.

"And you only gave her a month to sort this out? That's a little harsh don't you think?" Jehan said, ringing his hands.

Enjolras phone rang on his desk. He mumbled and turned it off. "No, it's not harsh, it's the law. I've got to keep moving or they'll give me the sack."

"As if they'd sack you E, you practically own the place." Jehan said, half amused, half annoyed. Enjolras couldn't deny it, the likeliness of him losing his job was rather slim considering he'd held and judged more court cases than most people do in their entire lifetime. "Please, just consider giving her a little more time on the case…please."

Enjolras tapped his fingers against the desk. "I guess I'll consider it…but I'm not promising anything."

_Three days later…_

"Enjolras is going to want to interview your brothers before the actual stand." Combeferre informed. Eponine and Combeferre had taken a trip down to the local library for a chat. The room was piled high with dusty books and old newspapers. Combeferre stood on a step ladder next to a wooden bookshelf. He was scanning the books, adjusting his glasses every now and then. "Knowing Enjolras and his stubbornness when it comes to the law, he'll most likely also call for a second opinion, someone other than your parents. He may choose a close friend or an aunt perhaps." Combeferre hummed as he came to the right book and pulled it from the shelf. A cloud of dust drifted from the old pages of the book. Combeferre coughed into his forearm and sniffed. "Christ…" he hopped down from the creaky stepladder, almost tripping over his own feet. He walked over to Eponine who sat on the edge of a chipped up desk. "Hey" he handed her the book. Eponine huffed as he dropped the ten-ton book into her hands. "Get reading missy."

"Jesus Christ."

Combeferre chuckled. "It'll give you a little heads up about 'the way of the law', you might say." Eponine raised an eyebrow and let out a slight groan. She was street smart…not book smart. Combeferre walked over to the other end of the table, placing another load of books down on the surface. "How's job hunting?"

"Well, I got an interview for a desk job…if that's anything."

Combeferre shrugged, "It's a start I guess." He went back to fiddling with the books, when a thought crossed his mind. "Say…Eponine…" Eponine hummed in response. Combeferre looked down at his feet. "Do you, um…do you have a boyfriend?"

Eponine almost dropped her book in response. "Huh?"

Combeferre turned bright red. "I-I just um, well if you do I-I uh, oh god, never mind."

Eponine laughed at his awkward stutters. Combeferre scratched the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed. "No, I don't."

"Yeah, um, it's just, if you did, it could help your case…that's why I was asking."

Eponine raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You sure about that Henry?"

Combeferre shook his head. "Yeah, I mean, if you had a rich partner then you'd be more likely to win the case."

Eponine hummed and gave a little grin. "Say 'Ferre, you're pretty rich right?"

"…hey, who's your lawyer?" he asked, changing the subject as soon as possible.

Eponine shook her head as she smiled. "Nicolas Grantaire…no offence to him, but you seem to be doing more work than he is."

* * *

Azelma sat on her leather sofa, painting her toenails a bright pink colour. She wiggled her toes and giggled. She was in the middle of a really good episode of America's next top model when her mobile rang. She rolled her eyes and placed the tiny pink bottle of nail polish on the glass coffee table and reached for her phone. She held it up to her ear and hummed. "Helloooo"

A clear and strong voice came through the line. _"Hey, sorry to bother you at such an hour, but, this is Azelma Thenardier if I'm not mistaken?"_

Azelma grabbed the silver television remote and turned the volume down a little. "Yeah, who's this?"

"_My name's Enjolras, please, call me Julien. I'm a judge for environmental, personal, business and finance matters. I'm calling because of your sister."_

**Thoughts? Eh.**


	3. And the run-down cafe

**This chapter is a little shit, my apologies. (Is anyone reading this anyway?)**

Combeferre glanced around the room. Eponine's apartment wasn't exactly a palace…one bedroom, one bathroom, one kitchen and a main room. By the door were a pile of worn-down and broken shoes. The window next to the door was smashed, leaving a weird star shape in the glass. Eponine had taped over the hole in the window with brown duct tape. The main room smelled of mashed potatoes and baked beans (which was basically what Eponine ate every single day of her miserable life.) Newspapers were scattered around the room, covering the floor. Empty cans and beer bottles lay unattended on the tables and on the sofa. There was one lamp lighting the dim room which sat next to the broken and smashed television. The room was freezing since Eponine couldn't afford a heater. There were random shards of glass on the floor which Combeferre was careful not to step on. Eponine hid her face behind her hands, embarrassed. "Ugh, god, it's bad isn't it?"

Combeferre shrugged and then let out a little chuckle. "Well it's not good. You're going to have to move out of here Eponine. This place is way too small to house three kids, and yourself."

"You think I can afford that?" Eponine said, crossing her arms over her chest. Combeferre bent down to pick up an empty can of beer. He took another look around. Eponine watched as the man paced up and down the room. "I have less money than a homeless bloke."

Combeferre bit his tongue to stop himself from laughing. "Well, I'm willing to lend you a couple grand if you need it. I am on a scholarship after all. I've got money to spare."

Eponine huffed. "You really are a rich little bastard aren't you?" Combeferre couldn't hold back his laugh that time. Eponine smirked. "Well I'm not borrowing money from you or anyone, 'k? That's not how I roll."

Combeferre nodded. "I understand…but if all goes down the drain, I'm here for you." He started tidying up a pile of papers on the floor. Eponine knelt down beside him and started helping him with the papers.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Eponine asked, holding his wrist.

Combeferre shrugged. "I like you a lot Eponine." He said, not daring to look her in the eye.

Eponine laughed. "Is that another way of saying you pity me?"

He sniffed. "I admit…I did pity you in the beginning…but now…now I feel something for you."

Eponine smiled. "And what is it exactly that you feel?"

"Not sure. I'm working on it."

** …**

"_And then he was all like, under federal law I am obliged to stay in the UK until this case is over, which means I'll have to take time off work and stuff."_

Eponine was on the phone with Azelma. She was making her way downtown to work, wearing her shredded up jeans, a t-shirt that read _look, don't touch _on the front and a thin black coat with about seven holes in it. "Huh, so when are they flying you over?"

"_Tomorrow."_

Eponine's eyes widened. "Shit…really?" Eponine reached the entrance to the café. Her work-place was small and smelled like road kill, probably because half of the stuff they sold to the customers _was _road kill. Above the door to the entrance was a half-broken off wooden sign that read _Pop's Café, get it while it's hot _painted in bulky red writing. "Well, 'Zelma I got to go. Call me when you get to London, 'k?"

"_Sure thing sis. Love ya'!"_

Eponine rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." She hung up and jammed the phone back into her pocket. As she entered the café, a strong sent of burning toast and rotten eggs filled her nostrils…but she was used to it. She had been working here for more than half of her life. The café was cramped and all the tables and chairs were placed close together because of how small the room was. The walls were painted a disturbing brown colour and the only source of light was from the windows by the door and on the left wall. Marius stood behind the counter wearing a blue t-shirt that was hidden by the apron that wrapped around the back of his neck and round his hip. He was fiddling with the cash register, attempting to give a poor, old and wrinkly lady her change.

Courfeyrac, Eponine's local mailman, was chilling in the corner of the café, smoking on a cigar and munching on an apple with his feet on the table, his chair tilted back at an angle. He spotted Eponine and lolled his head back with a smirk. "'Ponine! Long-time no see girlfriend!" he chuckled.

Eponine quirked an eyebrow, taking off her coat. "…Are you high?"

Courfeyrac frowned and blew a cloud of smoke from his cigar. "You are a very rude girl Miss Thenardier. You know that?"

Eponine smirked and walked over to Courfeyrac. She gently tapped the side of his fake doctor Martins and groaned. "Feet off the table dude. You know I spend hours cleaning this place up."

"Yeah and you do a shit job of it, no offence." Courfeyrac chuckled as Eponine face-palmed him. Sometimes, when life gets you down, Eponine always finds herself coming back to her best friends. "So, what's been going on with you lately?"

Eponine shrugged, dusting the surface of the damp wooden table with the palm of her hand. "Nothing much…you know that court case that I filed like ages ago."

"What the one Grantaire's helpin' you on?" Marius called from the counter. Eponine hummed in response and sat down opposite Courfeyrac (since the café was currently empty). "What about it?"

"Well, it got put through…but they're being total dick-heads about it." Eponine said, budging her foot into the leg of the table in frustration. "I mean, my judge is only giving me a month to sort out my entire life…it's not fair."

Courfeyrac frowned. "Damn girl. What a bitch." Eponine gave him a thumbs up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Courfeyrac tapped his bottom lip with his cigar. He then clicked his fingers and chuckled. "Why don't you come work in the mail office?"

Eponine raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes. "No offence Courf', but my judge expects me to be working a good fulltime job that pays good cash."

"Well working in the mail room is better than working in this place, like no offence Marius." He called over. Marius gave a salute in response. "Come on 'Ponine. It'll be fun."

"I don't need fun, I need money." Eponine said, reaching for her phone which was buzzing away in her jean pocket. She flipped it open and held it to her ear. "Hello?"

"_Eponine, it's Combeferre."_

Eponine grinned. "Oh, hey Henry." Courfeyrac raised an eyebrow at the girl and sat up.

"_You still haven't found a job yet?"_

Eponine hummed. "Funny you should mention that…"

"Marius, Eponine's got a fuckin' boyfriend!" Courfeyrac yelled across the empty café. Marius whistled and started giggling. Eponine mumbled something and hit Courfeyrac on the arm with a dirty cleaning rag.

"_So, I wanted to ask you if you'd like to join me for dinner tonight. I was thinking we could go for a couple of drinks and talk business."_

Eponine raised an eyebrow. "Really? Didn't know you were the drinking type."

Eponine heard Combeferre laugh on the other side of the line. _"I drink, I just don't get drunk. So, you up for it Miss Thenardier?"_

Eponine smiled. "Sure thing."

"_Cool, I'll text you the details. The pub's really near my Law school, so I'll just meet you there."_

Eponine hung up and looked over at Courfeyrac who's jaw had dropped. Eponine sniggered. "Grow up Courf'."

_ …_

Later that night, Eponine sat in the middle of the train, her head moving slightly as the train bobbed up and down the unsteady tracks, jolting the passengers from side to side. She was meeting Combeferre down at one of the richer parts of town. The train was filthy and had rats scurrying about the floor, but it was the cheapest transportation around. The place smelled of burnt rubber and mud. She heard the screeching of the train breaks as the thing began to slow down. Eponine was just about to reach her stop when her phone buzzed in her jean pocket. Eponine raised an eyebrow and pulled the thing out. She flipped it open and answered quietly so she didn't disturb anyone. "Hello?"

"_**Eponine! Where the fuck are you?"**_It was Courfeyrac…he sounded troubled. As Eponine approached her destination, she stood from her seat in the train.

"What? I'm going to meet a friend."

"_**You have to get home, like right now! Gav's in trouble!" **_Eponine froze. The train slowly came to a stop and the doors opened. Gavroche? In trouble? What was going on? _**"Just get down here, now!"**_

"What happened?" Eponine asked.

"_**I don't have time to explain, ok, just-please!"**_

_Eponine has two options. She can either turn around to find her brother, or meet with Combeferre to discuss her court case and further her chances…what should she do?_


	4. And the car incident

**I forgot to mention, English was not my first language, so if there are any spelling/grammar errors, I apologise.**

**Also, for the sake of the story I did change the ages (one of the reasons why I listed them earlier.)**

Save it for another day chapter 3

"I will see you in court Miss Thenardier." The young man stated, handing the woman an offending yellow sheet of paper. Eponine snatched it from his hands viciously and stared down at the scrunched up order.

"Why is this going to me? I'm not his mom, I'm his sister." Eponine said in frustration. The man began walking over to Eponine's front door to leave the dreary old apartment. Eponine followed him.

"Well, according to your parents and Mr Gavroche Thenardier, he was supposed to be in your care at the time of the incident." The man straightened his black tie as he pulled the creaking door open with his right hand. "Good day Miss Thenardier." He said with a huff, not looking back at her.

As the door closed Eponine started pulling at her hair and groaned. She turned her head to the little blonde kid that sat on her broken sofa, which had recently gained itself a giant rip down the middle. Gavroche was fiddling with the loose stuffing of the sofa. Eponine huffed and stormed over to him, her eyes burning with rage. "How fucking stupid do you have to be Gavroche!" Eponine said sourly. Gavroche rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't shout at me!"

"You stole a car for fucks sake!" Eponine yelled, standing over her brother. "You could get locked up for this!"

"I didn't steal the car, it was unlocked and I borrowed it!" Gavroche protested. "And I wouldn't have needed to steal it if you had just picked me up from school!"

"So now it's my fault?" Eponine questioned, her face turning bright red.

"Yes! It is your fault! This was supposed to be our weekend together and you blew me off!" Gavroche said, kicking an empty beer can that lay on the floor.

"Why didn't you just go home with Ash and Peter?" Eponine questioned.

"Because I didn't want to be home! I wanted to be with you!" Gavroche said, storming out of the room and into the tiny bathroom that sat in the corridor. He slammed the door shut, making the whole apartment shake. For a kid, Gavroche had a strong voice. Eponine face palmed herself and sulked.

* * *

_At the ABC pub_

Combeferre sat at the bar in the not-so-busy pub, staring at his iPhone as if it were a time bomb, waiting for it to go off. He was on his third glass of beer, not really keeping track himself. He took a short glance around the bar. Since this place was run by law students, they tended to keep the place rather clean cut and looking smart (even when they weren't sober). The pub had a row of fancy desks lined by the windows. The walls were painted a dark red colour and had pictures of framed law certificates and diplomas hanging from the walls. Since the pub was so close to NL Law School, it was like a hotspot for the students who wanted a light drink. It wasn't just the students though. A lot of men and women that came to the pub were previous students who'd already graduated.

Musichetta stood behind the counter, mopping up a random splash of alcohol on the bar-top with her green checked table cloth. She wore a clean white shirt and blue jeans with the words 'smart ass' sewn on the back with white thread. Her caramel coloured hair was tied back into a neat bun. As she scrubbed at the stubborn stain, she glanced up at Combeferre who was furiously tapping on the glass of his iPhone. She raised an eyebrow at the man and chuckled. "Something bothering you babe?"

Combeferre glanced over the edge of his silver glasses and hummed. "I'm meant to be meeting up with someone right about now…don't think she's going to show."

Musichetta pouted and leaned her elbow against the bar-top. "Do I know her?"

Combeferre shrugged nonchalantly, "Probably not. She lives on the other side of town."

"She cute?" 'Chetta asked, tilting her head a little. Combeferre ducked his head to hide the smile that was creeping onto his lips. She took that as a yes. "She smart?"

Combeferre flicked the bar-top and Musichetta gave his hand a little slap. "Not like…she's smart but…not _our _kind of smart. She's got street smarts."

Musichetta rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Please." Musichetta was working part time in the pub so she could earn a couple extra quid as she continued her studies as an environmental lawyer. She was a genius. Combeferre was surprised that she hadn't graduated already.

Combeferre stared down at the bottom of his now empty glass of beer. "Well it doesn't matter what you think…it's not like she likes me."

Musichetta raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Babe, you don't know that."

"If she did like me she would have showed up."

Musichetta rolled her eyes and flicked the depressed Combeferre on the arm. He jumped slightly in surprise. "Don't be stupid babe. I can't tolerate stupid people."

* * *

"_Grantaire, stop calling me!" _ Enjolras practically screamed down the phone. R had to hold the phone away from his ear to stop from blowing his ear-drums. He chuckled to himself and rested his feet on the surface of his crowded desk, holding the phone in his left hand and a glass of white wine in his right. He sat in his office, which was about three quarter's the size of Enjolras' room. There wasn't much on the walls, just old diplomas and framed certificates he never looked twice at these days.

"Enjy, my friend! We need to talk." He said, taking a quick gulp of his wine, savouring the fruity taste.

"_Don't ever call me that…ever." _He protested sternly down the phone.

Grantaire rolled his eyes. "Listen, I'm pretty pissed with a lot of people right now. You are definitely on my top ten, for the following reasons. You're fucking Eponine's case up, and if you fuck things up for her, you fuck things up for me. If Eponine loses this case, that puts me in a bad reputation. I don't want to be seen as a bad lawyer."

Enjolras chuckled. _"So, what are you calling me for?"_

"Stop being a mother-fucking bitch and cut me some slack!" Grantaire exclaimed, flinging his arm in the air. Enjolras laughed again and Grantaire bit his lip to stop himself from screaming. Enjolras was enjoying this way too much.

"_In other words, this case is too much of a big-shot for you, and you're asking for my help?" _Grantaire mumbled something under his breath. _"You know, as the judge of Eponine's case I'm not permitted to interfere with Eponine or Mr and Mrs Thenardier…though I could give you a couple of pointers that will lead you in the right direction. That is, if you want my help."_

"You are…evil my friend. Evil." Grantaire stated. "Meet me tomorrow at ABC to discuss the case, k?"

"_Just because I'm helping you out, doesn't mean I have any faith in Eponine winning the case. I'm neither on Eponine's side nor the Thenardiers…just so we're clear."_

* * *

_Jehan: Hey Eponine, are you still looking for a job?_

_Eponine: What do you think?_

_Jehan: Well, my friend Musichetta told me that there's an opening for a bar tending job down at the pub she works at. It pays pretty good._

_Eponine: Bar tending? I don't know…_

_Jehan: Come on, it's the best opportunity you're going to get!_

_Eponine: I'll think about it._

_Jehan: well think fast, because the offers only out there for a few more days_

* * *

_The next day…_

"Gavroche Thenardier…" Enjolras raised an eyebrow, hunching over his desk slightly as he read through the new court offence. "As in…Miss Thenardiers' brother?" Grantaire closed his eyes for a moment and let out a noise of frustration. "…on charges for stealing a car and breaking a fence…may be facing community service…possibly time in a young offenders institution." Enjolras was momentarily silent before he burst into a fit of laughter, practically falling over his own desk.

"You think this is funny?" Grantaire questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Funny? I think it's bloody hilarious." Enjolras admitted. "There is something insanely wrong with this family."

"You're one to talk." Grantaire rolled his eyes at the man.

"What do you want me to do?" Enjolras asked, crossing his legs and sitting up straight, trying to regain his professionalism. "The kid stole a car, he's got to face the consequences…as for Miss Thenardier, the only way she'll ever gain custody over my dead body. Where was Eponine when this was happening anyway? Why wasn't she with her brother at the start?"

"Eponine's a busy woman. She has a lot going on. Just give her time, okay?"

Enjolras shrugged. "This is ridiculous Grantaire. It's obvious that Eponine is never going to win this case."

"You're just mad about it because you didn't get custody of your own kids." Grantaire hissed.

"This has nothing to do with my personal life. It offends me that you'd think I'd be so bitter as to put my own emotions before my clients." Enjolras said, calmly standing from his desk, though Grantaire knew he was right.

"…Let me just get something straight Enjolras." Grantaire stood from his chair, leaning over his desk to look him dead in the eye. "I will not rest until Eponine wins this case. Eponine's more than my client. She's my friend. I know her better than most people give me credit for. No judge can stand between her and the ones she loves. You may be a tough judge Julien, but I am a tough lawyer…and I don't like to fuck around."

Enjolras stayed silent for a moment, just looking at the man with slight shock. He then smirked and let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll see you and Miss Thenardier in court…good luck."


End file.
